Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Social
Worker, Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch/Ashar
STAM TORAH
SUCCOS 5773
“OUR REAL HOME IN EXILE”
The Duke of Manheim once met Rav Tzvi of Berlin and asked him why the Jews recite the
Four Questions on Pesach night and not on Succos night? It would seem that
leaving the warmth and comfort of home to sit outside in a flimsy succah is
peculiar enough to warrant questions and explanations.
Rav Tzvi replied that on the night of Pesach when the child
sees the table set with beauty and elegance, he is perplexed. What is the
meaning behind this regality while we are yet in exile? On the night of Succos
however, when the child finds his family exiled from their home and left to the
mercy of the elements, he is not surprised. After all, throughout the centuries
of exile, that’s what Jews have always been forced to do!
The Tur[1]
records that the Succos (huts) we constructfor the duration of the seven-day
holiday commemorates the Divine Clouds of Glory that enveloped and protected
Klal Yisroel during their forty year sojourn in the desert.
The
Bach notes that as a rule, the Tur only records the letter of the law and does
not include the reasons and logic behind the laws. However, in regard to Succah
he makes an exception and records the reason for the mitzvah. He does so because
the Torah itself found it necessary to record the reason: “So that your
generations will know that I caused the children of Israel
to dwell in booths when I took them out of Egypt.[2]”
Therefore, the Bach rules, that one only fulfills the mitzvah of Succah if he
bears in mind the reason for the mitzvah.
Truthfully, the Gemarah in Succah records a dispute between
Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva as to what is the true reason for the mitzvah of
succah. The Tur only mentions the aforementioned opinion of Rabbi Eliezer that
it is to commemorate the Clouds of Glory. Rabbi Akiva however, opines that our
succos serve to commemorate actual succos (huts) that Klal Yisroel constructed
and lived in while they were the desert.
Why
does the Tur completely ignore the opinion of Rabbi Akiva?
Furthermore,
what is the logic behind Rabbi Akiva’s opinion? If they ate watermelon in the
desert should we observe a seven-day watermelon party? Why should we sit in
huts because they did?
The
Rokeiach explains that Rabbi Akiva is referring to huts that the nation
constructed built specifically when they went to battle the mighty armies of
the great giants Sichon and Og.
During
war, soldiers try to camouflage themselves as much possible, and remain low
key. Why would Klal Yisroel build huts during a time of war?
Chazal
say that the Clouds of Glory protected Klal Yisroel from enemies, elements, and
surrounding predatory animals. At the foot of the Sea of Reeds when Klal
Yisroel were trapped between the Sea and the oncoming Egyptians, the Clouds of
Glory caught the arrows of the Egyptians and spit them back at the attackers.
However when Klal Yisroel went to fight Sichon and Og they left their wives and
children behind and had to leave the camp. How were they protected, especially
in their vulnerable huts?
Rabbi
Moshe Wolfson shlita quotes Sefas Emes (5637) who says that through living in
the Succcah for the seven days of Succos one is blessed with Divine protection
throughout the year. Through one’s observance of the holiday he will capture
the feeling of trust in G-d and bring that security back into his home when the
holiday is over.
Throughout
the holiday of Succos during those times when one is permitted to be outside
the succah, e.g. when one goes to shul to daven, or when one goes for a walk,
it is still as if he is under the s’chach. The obligation of living in the
succah is, in the words of Chazal, ‘tayshvu k’ayn taduru’ to dwell there
as you live in your home. Thus, there are times when one leaves his normal home
too though he is still the resident of his home[3].
The
root of this idea stems from the Clouds of Glory themselves. When Klal Yisroel
departed from the main camp, the Divine protection of the clouds continued to
envelop them and protect them from the enemy even beyond its actual confines.
They were able to set up huts right in the middle of the war because the Divine
protection of the Clouds accompanied them in the merit that they retained their
levels of holiness.
It
is these huts that Rabbi Akiva refers to. Our succos serve to commemorate the
fact that Klal Yisroel was able to retain the Divine protection outside the
actual clouds. Ultimately our goal too is that when the holiday of Succos is
over we too will be able to take the holiness and security we feel in the succah
into our homes.
In
that sense Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Akiva agree that the underlying point of succah
is to commemorate the Clouds of Glory. They disagree only about which aspect of
the Clouds deserves our main focus – the actual Clouds themselves or the protection
that the clouds afforded even beyond itself. It is for this reason that the Tur
only mentions the Clouds of Glory, for that is the ultimate point of the
holiday according to both opinions.
In
this sense, the fragile succah is the only true dwelling place a Jew has in
exile. An infant in his mother’s arms is unaware if he is in Russia, South
Africa, Antarctica, or New York. As far as the child is concerned his
location is in his mother’s arms, and nothing else really matters. The same is
true in regard to the succah. No matter where in the world a Jew constructs his
succah, he is joined with every other Jew sitting in succos throughout the
world – under the protection of Hashem.
When my alma-mater, Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, was being built during
the 1970’s regular domestic wood was obtained for the building. One of the
parents of the Yeshiva approached the founding Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Berel Wein, and
told him he could obtain better quality wood from Finland at a cheaper rate. The
latter wood was far more durable and was expected to last 150-200 years as
opposed to the domestic wood, which was expected to last only 90 years. Rabbi
Wein however refused the Finnish wood and insisted that the regular wood was
sufficient. He told the surprised parent, that in America we build too well and for
too long. Things move fast and it’s hard to make calculations for 200 years
from now. We don’t need wood that will outlast our grandchildren’s
grandchildren. Historically, there are very few Jewish buildings which remain
in Jewish hands after 90 years.
Unfortunately his words ring true not only in the decimated
smoldering ruins of shuls and yeshivos in Europe,
but even of shuls in this country. My Zayde, Rabbi Yaakov Meir Kohn zt’l, was
the Rabbi of Kehillas Anshei Slonim on the Lower East Side, a renowned
shul during the 1970s which had a capacity that exceeded over a thousand seats.
Today the building has been converted into an Italian theater with nary a trace
remaining of all the tefillos and Torah learning that took place there.
The
Succah contains the holiness of Yerushalayim as we recite in the evening
prayers of Shabbos and Yom Tov, “He (G-d) spreads His succah of peace upon us
and all of his nation Israel and Yerushalayim.” Ironically, while the location
of the succah is temporal and fleeting, the holiness and spiritual fortitude it
infuses us with is lingering and transcendent, if only we can have the wisdom
to know how to internalize its eternal message.
”To dwell there as you live in your home”
“So that your
generations will know”
[1] Siman
625
[2] Vayikra
23:44
[3] see
Divrei Chaim al haTorah, Inyanei Succos
_____________________________________________________________________________
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Ha’azinu/Succos
12 Tishrei 5773/September 28, 2012
According to today’s second leading knowledge authority,
Wikipedia, (the number one leader is cha-cha), “Betta is a large genus of small, often colorful, freshwater ray-
The fish was a gift given to our then 3 year old
son Shalom by his friend Yoel Weinraub who had two of them. Betta fish
are not too fond of each other so it’s best to keep them apart (sounds
like your house?) and so we adopted Mr. Betta, who we fondly called
“Fisha B’av”.
We didn’t think Fisha B’av would last all that
long, especially in his 2 inch by 2 inch tank which he practically filled.
But somehow, as fish years go, he had arichas yamim (longevity) and remained with us for over two
years. When we went away for Shabbos and Yom Tov we had no choice but
to take F.B. with us. So while I drove, instead of a coffee or a soda
in the cup holder next to me, F.B. would swim around in his mini tank.
When we arrived at our destination F.B. came in with us and was deposited
on a dresser for the duration of our stay.
One Pesach morning while visiting my in-laws in Lakewood,
I was getting ready to leave for shul when I heard a shriek erupt from
upstairs. I ran upstairs to see Shalom standing next to the dresser
with a look of horror on his face. The tank was overturned and F.B.
was nowhere to be found. What’s more, at the time Shalom often confused
his words and he kept repeating “I did it by purpose! I did it by
purpose!” This was no time to point fingers. It was time for an immediate ‘bedikas Fisha B’av’. The story does have a happy ending
(for Shalom that is). I found F.B. lying on the floor underneath the
dresser. I quickly filled his tank and deposited him back inside, where
he immediately sprang back to life without any CPR or mouth-to-mouth
necessary.
The succos-huts that we move into for the seven day
holiday are much smaller than our homes and we give up many amenities
and conveniences to be there. Yet there is a sense of jovial tranquility
that permeates the succah.
The succah reminds us that no matter where we are
in the world, ultimately our only real protection comes from Above.
Sometimes we may think that if only we can escape the confining succah
and run into the world beyond the s’chach there we will find excitement
and fun. Perhaps that is true, but the cost of such an escape is a forfeiture
of life itself.
It’s no coincidence that
the holiday which celebrates leaving our homes and placing ourselves
at the mercy of G-d’s elements, is also the holiday of joy. It’s
the joy of being home, even when we are far from home.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Chag Sameiach & Freilichen Yom Tov,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
720 Union Road • New Hempstead, NY 10977 • (845) 362-2425
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